Seems like a reverse psychology for our national leader JKs ”wheres the promised brighter future, wheres the myriad of promise jobs, seems all but a make believe illustion, we hear of many companies cutting back n laying off workers, then these ones r forced to find other jobs menwhile others prefer to register with winz to receive a benefit, but with paula bennets drug testing of benefiaries has added to the stress of wanting to move overseas for a better life, is it not what all of us yearn for, ”I WANT A BETTER LIFE, DON’T YOU”!!😦😦

The Nats wouldn’t know a reform if it bit them on the bum. They are very good at sinking from the same hymn sheet though – the one they were given by their mates at the Church of Cargo Cult Economics – you know the place on the corner with the sign – Abandon hope all ye who enter here”

Frank, the situation you describe to us readers here, reminds me a Joy Division song written before Ian Curtis passed on. The song is New Dawn Fades, and when I first heard it I noticed how jarring the similarities between what is depicted in the song via the lyrics, and the situation New Zealand found – and still finds – itself in then.

There was a change of style in 2008, when National won the election. People thought maybe there might be change. John Key promised us a different direction. But he didn’t tell us it was the same old asset sales agenda; the same old austerity must be the solution. And so directionless now that its plain to see.

The welfare reforms are not like the knife of Ruth Richardson, but they are made by the same sort of out of touch, ideological character whose contempt for beneficiaries and their situation, smacks of Ruthanasia. The same goes for the people who are driving the asset sales.

It sounds to me, Rob, that you lived through the Ruth Richardson era like I did. The social and economic damage to New Zealand was horrendous at the time. It’s tragic that New Zealanders have forgotten so quickly what happwened only 20 years ago.

“There was a change of style in 2008, when National won the election. People thought maybe there might be change. John Key promised us a different direction.”

Indeed. Ditto for me. I held of judgement for well over half of National’s first term until I realised that they were simply biding their time. They seemed to be waiting – for god knows what.

Then we found out what they were waiting for; their second term. That’s when their agenda took off like a boy racer in a new Honda…

I did Frank. Although I was only a kid I remember the free market reforms enacted by Roger Douglas, and Ruthenasia, as the Richardson reforms were known. I was in and out of hospital a lot at the time because of my severe hypertension, and so the Jenny Shipley clashes with Helen Clark are something my parents paid attention to.

It is tragic that New Zealanders have not realised National and Labour are two sides of the same coin. Both support Free Trade Agreements to varying extents – in National’s case probably not so surprising, but in the case of Labour I wonder if they have forgotten their core values. Both, despite rhetoric to the contrary in Parliament have nibbled away at democracy and human rights in this country. I could have told you years ago that the Free Trade Agreement with China was a dumb move. The failure to invest in science and technology also rankles me, when I consider that the wealthiest western nations spend about 2% of their G.D.P. on research, science and technology.

Real Jobs for Kiwi’s ! The other day I was Looking up Kiwi Rails Web Site & I came across the New Wagons 500 Built in China Cost us $50 Mil in overseas Fund so what you say ! Then it tells us that Hillside Workshops Built 35 before that . I presume that was to sort out the Design as these are a NEW Larger Design looks like a lot of Kiwi Thought has gone into there Design . As they can Now carry 56 Tonne / Wagon compared to the Old Uk design which could only manage 43 Tonnes . Back to these New IAB & IAC Wagons to utilise more of the Kiwi Rail Network the Boys @ Hillside must have done a bit of Brain Storming ( Something the Govt doesn’t do well ) as this NEW Designed in NZ Wagon can Now Take all Container Sizes therefore each wagon should be Full with Containers, unless it’s doing an empty run which happens even with Road Transport . But then I read on further ( Hillside Workshops in Dunedin Employing HOW Many KIWIS ? ) is to Close as the Present Government doesn’t have any use for it Why ? The Report said over the Next 10 years Kiwi Rail NEEDS 3000 MORE of these WAGONS . Made in China will Cost Kiwi Jobs, & $300’000’000 , Millions of Overseas Funds which means we need to find $300 Million of Exports to Pay for them ( when the Kiwi Dollars is getting Higher ). Now I got my Calculator warmed up, 3000 Div by 10 years = 300 per year, Div by 40 Weeks = 7.5 Wagons per Week ( Could Hillside KIWI Workers Not Manage that ) ! Now someone will say ” BUT China can Make THEM CHEAPER” yes they did when there was 20 New DL Locomotives in the Order for $75 Million or $3.75 Mil Each also, China was only $25000 per wagon Cheaper on 500 Units or 25%. But do they pay the same Wages as NZ ? NO ! Do they eat Kiwi Made Exported Food ? Think NOT KIWI Made would have Cost another $12.5 Mil ! But how much will it Cost NZ to Close KIWI Rails Hillside Workshops , Who had to fix the Faults in these Chinese Made Wagons Kiwi‘s did @ Hillside ? Back to 3000 NEW Units Built over 10 Years Keeping Hillside Jobs & How many other Kiwi Jobs outside the Fence $$$$$ Mils ; Eg : Steel Made in NZ, Paint Made in NZ , Large Axle Castings Made @ Hillside Workshops KIWI Made etc . Do the Sums 3000 Wagons x $125 K NZ Made = $375 Mil spent in NZ Over 10 Years or $300 Million spent in China > NO JOBS for KIWI’s < John or Bill How can that Balance the Books . Don't get me Started on NEW Prison with 70% Owned by 2 English Companies one saying it will make $30Mil Profit per Year ! Has NZ Gone Back in 150 years in Time ? Has Captain COOK with all the Old English Companies come back ? ACC will have the other 30% Stake But they Got no Money ? I Need a Coffee Now Finger is sore ! Steamingmadd

Karl, if the Great Unwashed knew 50% of the stuff you do, National would never be elected into office again.

It’s only because people are ignorant of the complete picture (making them “low information voters”) that Key and his cronies can implement policies that result in 162,000 unemployed; whilst jobs are exported overseas; and then the Nats turn around and blame the unemployed for being on the dole…

Actually Frank, the worst bit about why National got back into office was because 1,000,000 people didn’t vote at the last election, who could have and of those 1,000,000 roughly 240,000 were youths. We need to get more people voting. I say to people grumbling about the Government “Did you vote at the last election”, and if they say “No”, I say to them “well, there went your grumbling rights for the next three years”. and if they grumble on, I follow it up with “Christchurch Central only went to Nicky Wagner by ONE vote. Yes, one person could have cost National that seat”.

It’s true. One vote was all the difference in whether or not Nicky Wagner got that seat or not.

Kate Wilkinson might not have gotten Waimakariri either but for the fact that she did a lot of ground work in the electorate following the 2010 quake. That said, she’s a cold as ice, hard as steel woman who doesn’t care for the conservation estate or for fair and equitable labour practises in the work place. Silly woman.

But my grump of the day goes to Gerry Brownlee, whose electorate I live in. I’d like nothing more than to see him get his arse kicked in the next election because he is the most incompetent, insensitive yesteryear Minister I have ever stumbled across (though Parata is fast catching up). He tells Christchurch folk to stop carping and moaning, and those on Facebook to stop buggerizing. Dear Gerry, why don’t you stop buggerizing Christchurch?

Robert, there’s not one point I’d disagree with in your “rant”. To the list of Wagner and Wilkinson, I’d add Bennett who won Waitakere by 9 votes. Nine!

The ‘trick’ is for as many of us as possible to encourage one extra voter to go to the polling station on election day. We need to show non-voters that by abstaining from casting a ballot, they are effectively giving National supporters extra electoral strength which they do not merit. And worse still, a National government will enact policies that will eventually impact on the non-voters’ life.

Hence why I’ve never bought into the scenario of not voting. the phrase “Don’t vote – it only encourages them” was a smart “marketing” move by the new right to engender cynicism in the populace, whilst supporters of right wing parties cast their votes for their parties. Right wingers understand the power of the vote.

We need to politicise the poor; the dispossed; and the alienated to be conscious of the power that they wield in their hands.

A million voters could sweep aside the right wing political apparatus as easily as we bat away a fly.